JOB DESCRIPTION

Title:Volunteer Programme Manager

Hours:39

Responsible to:Chief Executive

Salary:£22,000

Location:Prestwich and Manchester

JOB PURPOSE

(N.B. In addition to these responsibilities employee are required to carry out such other duties as may reasonably be required.)

To provide leadership, vision and strategic direction for the organisation on volunteering, ensuring that Outreach develops and sustains high quality volunteer activity in support of its charitable goals.

To be a senior ambassador of Outreach, championing the support and use of volunteers within the organisation.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Key Tasks

  • Work cross-organisationally to ensure implementation and ownership of a new volunteering strategy for Outreach
  • Research and apply best volunteering practice with the potential aim of achieving a recognised volunteering quality standard
  • Co-ordinate the volunteer programme and line manage volunteers and relevant staff.
  • Develop and monitor volunteers’ recruitment, induction process and training programmes
  • Provide professional guidance in order to support the needs of all volunteers to boost retention and provide a supportive working environment
  • Develop volunteering opportunities and promote volunteering through attending events and building networks to increase awareness.
  • Monitor and evaluate volunteer programme in line with Outreach’s organisational outcomes
  • To represent the organisation at meeting and events and provide reports as and when required.
  • To raise the profile of Outreach through volunteers
  • To input and support funding applications relating to volunteering
    Main Duties

1. Create and Implement a volunteering strategy for Outreach:
I. / Build on the current Volunteering Strategy to enable the charity to increase the impact of volunteering and demonstrate high quality standards within our work with volunteers
II. / Engage senior staff throughout Outreach with the volunteering strategy, ensuring that the strategy will support the aims of the organisation for the benefit of its organisation and service users.
III. / Develop plans and budgets for the volunteering function going forward.
IV. / Monitor and manage the budget in line with the business plan and strategy
2. Research and apply good volunteering practice:
I. / Undertake an analysis of Outreach’s current use of volunteers and current volunteering needs in order to recommend the most efficient use of volunteers.
II. / Research existing volunteer ‘market’.in the geographical area.
III. / Lead on Volunteer Policy and Procedures for the organisation; ensuring that all procedures are up to date and comply with relevant legislation. Ensure that these are agreed with all key stakeholders
IV. / Keep up to date with legislation and policy relating to volunteering.
V. / Devise an information pack for potential volunteers.
3. Promotion of Volunteering Opportunities:
I. / Develop partnerships with operational teams to understand their volunteering needs, and the roles and remits required. Generate appropriate volunteering opportunities and role descriptions based on this research (with Operations)
II. / Establish positive working relationships with existing volunteer organisations in the region, so that work is not duplicated and opportunities for volunteer participation are maximised.
III. / Develop ways for promoting volunteering opportunities at Outreach, working with our other teams and other relevant parties.
4. Recruitment of volunteers:
I. / Support the recruitment of volunteers in line with Volunteer and Recruitment Policies, ensuring that people throughout the organisation are informed in order to recruit volunteers well.
II. / Devise a system to develop a system to manage volunteer applications and match volunteers to projects where appropriate, where possible utilising existing systems and networks.
5. Volunteer training programme (working with HR and Managers):
I. / Establish an appropriate volunteer induction.
II. / Ensure all volunteers receive appropriate training, particularly regarding Safeguarding Adults procedures.
III. / Put in place processes/policies to ensure that volunteers have regular supervision that addresses their achievements as well as challenges, their training and other support needs.
IV. / Be available to offer advice, information and support to volunteer recruiters and managers. Establish clear boundaries as to how and when this will happen. Ensure that relevant information reaches volunteers.
V. / Provide regular events/forums for volunteers so that they can share good practice, receive peer support and feel a part of Outreach as a whole.
VI. / Ensure that volunteers have opportunities to contribute to the work of Outreach throughout the year e.g. newsletter, website, AGM, specific volunteer events to ensure that volunteers feel valued by the organisation.
VII. / Devise methods of celebrating the success of volunteers internally and externally.
VIII. / To secure feedback from both the volunteers and the organisation , and resolve any issues that might arise
6. Accountability, Quality Monitoring and Evaluation:
I. / Work positively and proactively with operational teams using volunteers to ensure any issues or ideas are highlighted and acted upon.
II. / Maintain accurate records in order to be able to provide statistical evidence on volunteer usage and report back against service outcomes for trustees, funders and members.
III. / Ensure the Volunteer Programme remains within its budget and that it meets agreed targets (to be agreed with line manager following research).
IV. / To monitor and evaluate volunteer and operational satisfaction, and to use this information to enable and record value against Outreach’s organisational outcomes
V. / Identify appropriate and effective measures to enable the charity to understand and monitor volunteer numbers, motivation and effectiveness.
VII. / To safeguard the health, well-being, and safety of the service users we work with, some of whom maybe classed as adults at risk of abuse. In the event of a risk to a service user becoming apparent or if concerns arise about an adult at risk of abuse, to immediately report these concerns in line with the appropriate policy and procedure.
Note:
The responsibilities of this role will normally include all duties described in this Job Description and any additional or different duties, which the Employer may reasonably require from time to time.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

JOB TITLE: VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME MANAGER
Knowledge:
Understanding of the voluntary sector and how volunteers can make a valued contribution.
Understanding of policy and best practice guidelines relating to volunteering
IT Literate with knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.
Understanding of Safeguarding with regards to adults at risk of abuse (desirable)
Skills & Abilities:
Self-starter, who can work collaboratively as well as using own initiative to manage complex workloads and relationships both internal and external.
Able to work effectively in partnership with others, by being inclusive, consult, engaging but ensuring that you remain service user focused.
To be able to persuade and influence others both internal and external to develop and implement the organisations volunteer strategy within a changing environment
Skilled communicator at all levels; including ability to lead and support staff and volunteers through change
Commitment to working outside normal office hours and at weekends.
Empathy with the aims, goals and values of the organisation, and a commitment to work with operational partners to ensure delivery.
Experience:
Significant experience of working effectively with volunteers and volunteer groups/committees on volunteer strategy development and delivery.
Experience of use of volunteers in mentoring
Experience of developing and improving volunteer management best practice in a voluntary organisation.
Experience of leading the approach to volunteer development across a charity.
Successful people management including effective recruitment and selection, supervision, performance management and staff development.
Setting and successful management of volunteer targets, annual plans and budgets.

Special Conditions

The post will be subject to the Disclosure and Barring process (DBS).

Due to Section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 we are required to carry out basic checks on every potential employee (including British Citizens and European Economic Area Nationals), to ensure that you have the legal right to work in the UK. If selected for interview, you may be asked to bring documents that will confirm this.